New Phone Scam Is Deceptively Simple
Don’t pick up the phone to answer calls from unknown numbers. Instead, let them go to voicemail.
While many of us do that anyway, that’s now the FCC’s advice to all Americans in response to an ongoing series of attacks designed to trick victims into uttering a single word.
According to a March 27th alert, this scam centers on tricking victims into saying the word “yes,” which criminals record and later use to attempt to make fraudulent charges on a person’s utility or credit card accounts.
This scam begins when a consumer answers a call and the person on the other end of the line asks, “Can you hear me?” The caller then records the consumer’s “Yes” response and obtains a voice signature. That voice signature can be used later by the scammers to impersonate the victim and authorize fraudulent charges over the telephone.
If you’re targeted
While there’s no way to prevent criminals from running these types of scams, law enforcement and consumer rights groups always encourage victims to file a report regardless of whether or not there has been a financial loss.
For anyone targeted by the “yes” scam, the FCC recommends immediately reporting the incident to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker and to the FCC Consumer Help Center.
For more information about tools for blocking robocalls, texts and marketing calls visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-calls-texts-and-faxes
If you have any questions on IT security or protecting your business or personal accounts from the scams being perpetrated today, contact ITPAC and keep your information safe.